


Baby Blues

by detective_giggles



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Archive Opposites Challenge, Babysitting is hard y'all, M/M, Sonny babysits Noah, background Cabenson (but like hardly any)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26261914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detective_giggles/pseuds/detective_giggles
Summary: Olivia sighed, “Rafael agreed to watch Noah while Alex and I went out tonight. But he’s working late. Please, Sonny. Please. Rafa shouldn’t be long. A half hour, tops.” She held Noah out again, “Please.”Sonny agrees to watch Noah for Olivia...but he doesn't know the first thing about kids.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47
Collections: Barisi Opposites Challenge





	Baby Blues

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: My attempt at the Opposites challenge prompt #14 about “Sonny being clueless with children and Rafael is the baby-whisperer”. Only problem being, I am also clueless about children, so…Here we go.
> 
> Thank you for reading, as always: Comments, kudos, and constructive criticism is always appreciated!

Sonny groaned as he pulled a beer out of the fridge. It had been a long week but it was finally Friday, and he had the next two days off to spend with Rafael and relax. He settled in at the table, his beer in one hand and a highlighter in the other, determined to get at least a little studying done before Rafael got home with dinner. He was only two paragraphs in when he heard a knock at the door.

He crossed the room in a couple of long strides and peered out the peep hole. “Lieu?” he yanked the door open, “Hi?”

She sighed with relief. “Rafael said you’d be here,” Olivia slipped the diaper bag off her arm and handed it to Sonny. He reached for it automatically and hiked it up onto his shoulder, “They didn’t have a seven thirty reservation, only a seven o’clock,” she offered as an explanation.

“Okay… I, uh… Rafi’s not home yet,” Sonny said slowly, still not fully understanding why his supervisor was standing outside his door. He felt like he should invite her in, but he didn’t actually want to encourage her to stay.

“I know. We needed a warrant at the last minute, so he’s going to be a little late.” Sonny pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned when he saw he didn’t have any new messages.

“Well, if you want to come in and wai-” he stopped mid-sentence when he realized Olivia was holding her son out for him to take. “Uh, no, thank you.” He stepped back to give Olivia enough room to enter the apartment.

“I can’t. I need to get to the restaurant. Alex is waiting for me. Did he not call you?”

“No,” Sonny replied, cautiously, “Wait. You want _me_ to watch him? No! No, I can’t! I don’t…”

Olivia sighed, “Rafael agreed to watch Noah while Alex and I went out tonight. But he’s working late. Please, Sonny. Please. Rafa shouldn’t be long. A half hour, tops.” She held Noah out again, “Please.”

“I don’t know the first thing about kids, and our apartment isn’t exactly child-proof.”

“Just…don’t take your eyes off him. And I’ll make Fin cover you next weekend on-call?” Olivia raised an eyebrow and held Noah out again. “He won’t be any trouble, I promise!”

“Fine,” Sonny sighed reluctantly and took Noah.

“Thank you,” Olivia whispered, “Bye, my sweet boy. I love you.” She gave him a kiss on the forehead and stepped back quickly as his tiny hands reached for her. 

Sonny tapped the door shut with his foot and turned to Noah, “Well buddy, I guess it’s just you and me.” Noah tipped his head back and began to wail.

***

“Hey, Noah… Come on, please stop crying,” Sonny begged. His head was pounding, and it had only been twenty minutes. How did parents do this every day? He grabbed his phone and called his sister, growling in frustration when her voice mail picked up, “Bella, my favorite sister… please call me back. I’m having an…issue.” he sighed again and tossed his phone on the couch before adjusting Noah on his hip and pacing a few steps around the living room. “Noah, please?” he reached over, attempting to give his little tummy a tickle. Noah flailed and screamed louder (as if that was even possible). Sonny steadied him on his hip, “No tickles, got it,” he muttered.

“How about some music?” he asked, “Kids like music, right?” He walked over to the CD player and turned it on, discovering one of Rafael’s jazz CDs. Sonny turned up the volume a little, hoping the squeaky sax would drown out at least a little of the screaming toddler in his arms. “You know, kid, this would be a lot easier if you would talk to me,” he said.

He paced a few more steps around the room when his eyes settled on the diaper bag on the coffee table. “Come on, let’s see what’s in here, huh? Maybe it has the answers to all my prayers.” Sonny sat on the couch with Noah on his lap. He wrapped one arm securely around Noah, not wanting to have to explain to his boss how he dropped her son; and managed to unzip the bag with his other hand. 

He rummaged through the diaper bag, discarding things on the table. He came across diapers, wipes, and extra clothes, none of which he assumed would entertain Noah for any length of time. He unzipped the other compartment, hoping he would have better luck. He pulled out a thick, cardboard book, “You want me to read to you?” 

Noah continued to cry. “Guess not. Let’s see what else is in here… A car? Do you like cars, Noah?” he pulled out a large, red plastic car, “It’s not a Mustang, but it’ll do.” He offered the toy to Noah, who showed no interest. “Figures,” he said, tossing the toy aside, “Besides, you’re already driving me crazy,” he snorted at his own joke and checked the time again.

“What other treasures are in here?” he reached in and pulled out a couple wooden blocks. He held them out and Noah took one in each hand. Noah immediately dropped one and tried shoving the other one in his mouth, gnawing at the piece of wood. “I don’t actually think that’s edible, buddy,” Sonny said, pulling the toy away from his face. 

“MINE!” Noah shrieked, throwing the block and hitting Sonny square in the forehead. The block bounced off Sonny’s face and he watched as it fell to the floor.

“That was counterproductive,” he made a face and wiped the drool off his forehead, “because I’m not giving it back. What else is in here?” This time he emerged with a plastic keyring with large, multicolored keys. Noah accepted the toy, grabbing onto the plastic ring and shaking it, causing the keys to rattle against each other loudly.  
“Ah, well, that’s still loud, but we’re making progress, right? It’s probably too much to ask for you to be content with that for the rest of the evening? Who would have thought the keys to your heart would have been from Fisher Price?” 

Noah played with the keys longer than Sonny expected before he dropped them on Sonny’s lap and reached forward. “You wanna see what’s in there? Maybe you can find something to entertain you.” He put the bag on the couch next to him and allowed Noah to reach inside. He sighed with relief as his phone pinged with a text, hoping it was Rafael saying he was on his way.

RB: I am so sorry. Mike and Amanda are with a suspect and it’s not going well. Be home when I can. How’s Noah?

SC: You owe me. 

RB: That good, huh?

SC: Come home, please? I’ll do anything. Anything.

Sonny watched the three dots appear and then disappear just as quickly, but no new message arrived. He tossed his phone aside and turned his attention back to Noah who, he realized, was suspiciously quiet. He had a small canister in his hands and every time he shook it, a puff of white powder escaped, slowly covering Noah, the couch, his leg, and the floor. 

“Shit! Sorry, kiddo. That’s not actually a toy, and Uncle Rafi is going to kill me if you get any more of this on the couch,” he wrestled the baby powder from Noah, who promptly screeched. “Yeah, yeah. But I’d rather have you mad at me. Here.” Sonny handed him the keys once again. His stomach rumbled and he realized how late it was getting. And if he was getting hungry, he decided, Noah probably was too.

“Are you hungry? You want some food?” Noah’s sobs had quieted to the occasional hiccup. “What can you eat?” Noah sniffled and shoved his thumb into his mouth, still jingling the keys.

“Do you like spaghetti?” He wondered. Noah just stared, blinking his big eyes. Sonny sighed and grabbed his phone, “Hey Siri, can babies eat spaghetti?”

***

“Sonny? I’m home!” Rafael called. He left his briefcase by the front door and slipped off his shoes. He headed through the kitchen and saw Sonny walking Noah in the hallway. They were both covered in something red, and Noah was sobbing, his face buried in Sonny’s shoulder. “Has he been doing this all night?” 

“Yes? I don’t know,” Sonny sighed, exhausted. “Can you take him, please?” He begged.

Rafael nodded, “but give me a minute to change.” He disappeared into the bedroom and returned a few minutes later in an old T-shirt and sweats. “Come here, Noah,” Rafael reached out and plucked the kid from Sonny’s arms, bouncing lightly, “is that marinara?” He wondered as Noah’s sobs quieted almost immediately, “did you give him spaghetti?” Rafael asked, incredulously. 

“Siri said I could!” Sonny whined, “you weren’t here, and I didn’t know what else to do! He wouldn’t stop crying and–”

“Okay, I know, I’m sorry,” Rafael said softly, rubbing gentle circles on Noah’s back. “It’s okay, Noah. Uncle Sonny did a good job, didn’t he?” He murmured. “What was that? You want Uncle Sonny to babysit you next time too?” Sonny shot him a look and he chuckled, still murmuring into Noah’s hair. After a few more minutes, Noah’s breathing became slow and regular as he fell asleep in Rafael’s arms.

“How?” Was all Sonny could say.

Rafael shrugged. “Kids know when you’re stressed and they react to it. You did great, Sonny, don’t worry. He’s fine, you’re fine, the apartment is fine… I can’t ask for much more than that.”

“Don’t look up,” Sonny muttered.

Rafael looked up and noticed the smear of tomato sauce on the ceiling, “How?”

It was Sonny’s turn to shrug, “Well, this has been fun, but I’m going to go shower. I’m covered in baby...gunk. His bag is in the living room. When the lieu gets here, tell her she owes me an extra weekend off.” He huffed and stomped down the hall. 

“She’ll be glad to hear that, right little man?” He shifted Noah carefully and gently ran a finger over one of his little chubby cheeks. Rafael carried him towards the living room to grab his diaper bag, “how bad could you have been?”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you to Sarahcakes613 for the beta (I'm sorry, i don't know how to actually tag you!) Also, thank you to Dani for the baby powder idea, and thanks to Mr. Giggles for the line about the keys! <3


End file.
